A Coffee Table Beauty / Modern Country
It's almost the weekend and this week, aside from recovering from a two day shoot, I've been busy reviewing a beautiful new title from Jacqui Small Publishing, my go-to guys for serious interior style books. This is one for the coffee table. 'Modern Country - Inspiring interiors for contemporary living' by journalist Caroline Clifton-Mogg is wholeheartedly a breath of fresh air. Finally someone has taken the outdated country look and shown me something I can get onboard with. No chintz or dodgy 90s pine. Nope. This is contemporary country style, and it's raw and sexy, focusing on pared back interiors highlighting the beauty of the materials used, from traditional exposed wood and stonework, to modern concrete, metals and glass. Modern country style encompasses the idea of exposing the raw materials used in the renovation process, like for example the concrete flooring in the shot above where the owner has painted on a patterned rug to anchor the table. The overall aesthetic is uncluttered and beautiful in its simplicity and I love that. In fact, I loved it so much, I made a video. Take a look...Caroline explores the look in four chapters; from Architectural Styles, Materials and Finishes, Country Locations and Country Living, with a liberal smattering of stunning images from French interiors publication Côté Sud, Côté Est and Côté Ouest. Each case study illustrates how the owner drew inspiration from their surroundings for the traditional aspect of country style, but also pulled elements from contemporary construction methods and materials, not directly associated with country living.
I'm going to spend the weekend planning my imaginary Tuscan farmhouse. Polished concrete flooring? Yes please!So what did you think of my little video? If I've sparked your interest, you might want to take up on the reader offer too:
Reader Offer! To order Modern Country at the discounted price of £24.00 including p&p* (RRP£30.00), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG217.
*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.